Process of retaining softness in bakery products



United States Pate PROCESS OF RETAINING SOFTNESS IN BAKERY PRODUCTS Chester W. Ofelt, Valhalla, N.Y., and John E. Hodge, Peoria, 111., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture No Drawing. Application August 19, 1958 Serial No. 756,048

3 Claims. (Cl. 99-91) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) much of their original softness of crumb for a considerable period of time. Specifically, the invention relates to processes wherein certain agents, namely, ascorbyl palmitate and hydrogenated ascorbyl palmitate, are incorporated into the dough prior to baking whereby staling of the baked product will be effectively retarded.

Ascorbyl palmitate with free enolic hydroxyl groups may be conveniently prepared by the method of Wells and Swern described in their Patent No. 2,350,435.

The hydrogenated ascorbyl palmitate is prepared by hydrogenating the ascorbyl palmitate (prepared as described above) whereby the double bond in the ascorbyl chain is saturated. This hydrogenation technique is carried out as follows:

Fifty grams of ascorbyl palmitate was disolved in 150 ml. absolute alcohol and placed in a stainless steel hydrogenation vessel. To this container was added 10 grams of Raney nickel catalyst and the whole hydrogenated under 1600 lbs/sq. in. pressure at 160 C. for 39 hours. The final solution was filtered from the catalyst, decol0rized with activated carbon, and vacuum evaporated to dryness. Twenty-four grams of the crude product was recrystallized from 50% aqueous methanol. Yield 20 grams. The product showed no reducing power toward acidified iodine solution or Tillmans reagent.

The reaction which occurs is represented by the following equation:

In the above formula for the ascorbyl palmitate, the

BIG-OH and BIO-5H arrangements In applying the process of the invention, the ascorbyl palmitate or the hydrogenated ascorbyl palmitate is incorporated into the dough, prior or subsequent to its raising by fermentation, in a percentage from 0.1 to 1.0 and preferably from 0.1 to 0.4, based on the weight of flour. Usually it is most convenient to incorporate the ascorbyl palmitate or hydrogenated ascorbyl palmitate into the shortening before this is incorporated with the flour and other ingredients. In any event, the dough apart from containing the added palmitate is prepared and processed in the customary manner as is well understood in the baking trade. The palmitate may be added to yeast-raised doughs of any type whether for preparation of white bread, coffee cake, sweet rolls, buns, doughnuts, and specialty breads such as raisin, Whole wheat, low-protein, rye, corn, potato, sour-dough, etc.

By addition of the said ascorbyl palmitate or hydrogenated ascorbyl palmitate to the dough, the resulting bakery products will retain their freshness for 2 to 4 days longer than bakery products prepared without addition of any anti-staling agent. In this respect it may be noted that the palmitates of the invention exhibit an anti-staling effect equal to that of the best monoglyceride bread-softeners presently available for this purpose. The palmitates of the invention are effectively used in baked products which are of the high-fat or low-fat categories. For instance the palmitates may be successfully employed in bread formulas containing anywhere from 1 to 10% or more of shortening.

The invention is further demonstrated by the following example, in which, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the palmitates ofthe invention a series of breads were prepared. One lot contained no anti-staling agent (control), another lot contained 0.4% (based on weight of Hour) of glycerol monostearate (a conventional bread softener), a third lot contained 0.4% (based on weight of flour) of ascorbyl palmitate prepared as described above, .and a fourth lot contained 0.4% (based on weight of flour) of hydrogenated ascorbyl palmitate, also prepared as described above.

The following formula was used:

Flour "grams" 660 Water ml 430 Salt "grams" 13.2 Sugar do 39.6 Active dry yeast do 297 Potassium bromate do 0.0099 Calcium chloride do 0.363 Ammonium sulphate do 0.429

Additional ingredients for diiferent lots as follows:

Lot 1: Lard 26.4 grams (4% based on flour). Lot 2:

Lard 23.76 grams (3.6% based on flour). Glycerol monostearate 2.64 grams (0.4% bas on flour). Lot 3:

Lard 23.76 grams (3.6% based on flour). Ascorbyl palmitate 2.64 grams (0.4% based on flour). Lot 4:

Lard 23.76 grams (3.6% based on flour). Hydrogenated ascorbyl palmitate 2.64 grams (0.4% based A. Preparation of ingredients.A solution was prepared containing 475 .2 grams of sugar, 158.5 grams salt in 2112 ml. water whereby 228.8-gram aliquots of solution provided the proper amount of salt and sugar for each mix of 660 grams of flour.

Dried yeast (81 grams) was dispersed in water (519 ml.) so thata 5 O-gram aliquotprovided the proper amount of yeast for a 660-gram'fiour mix. The yeast was dispersed in water at 115 F. and maintained at this tem perature for. at least 5 minutes before use. I

The potassium bromate was dissolved in water (6.6 grams per liter) so that a 1.5 ml. aliquot yielded a concentration of 0.0015 in a mix with 660 grams of flour.

The calcium chloride was dissolved in water (72.6 grams/liter) so that a 5-ml. aliquot yielded-a concentration of 0.055 in a 660-gram flour mix.

The ammonium sulphate was dissolved in water (85.8 grams/liter) so that a 5-ml. aliquot yielded a concentration of 0.065% in a 660-gram flour mix.

B. Mixing procedure-The flour (a 2:1 blend of hard red winter and hard red spring), shortening, anti-staling ingredient (if any), yeast suspension, sugar-salt solution, CaCl solution, (NI-i 50 solution, KBrO solution, and the remainder of water required were placed in aHobart mixer with McDuffee bowl and after incorporation for 30 seconds at low speed were mixed to optimum development (280 seconds) at second speed according to usual straight dough procedure.

C. Fermentation and baking.-The dough was fermented at 86 F. and 85% r.h. for 105 minutes, punched by hand, fermented for another 30 minutes then scaled to 535-gram pieces, de-gassed by passing through a National 1 lb. dough sheeter, fermented for 15 minutes more and then molded by passing through a pair of sheeting rolls 3 times at A2" and A" then curling by hand and placing in a standard 1 lb. loaf tin. The doughs were proofed to /s" over the top of the pan at 95-98 F. and 85% r.h. They'were then-baked in a rotating hearth oven at 425 F. with only bottom heat and with low pressure steam admitted to the oven. They were weighed and measured for loaf volume immediately upon removal from the oven. The loaves were cooled for one hour at room atmosphere. They were then wrapped in double waxed glassine paper with heat sealing ends and bottom. They were stored at approximately 78 F. 45% r.h. for 45 hours prior 'to softness evaluation.

D. Sofmess evaluatin.After 45 hours storage each loaf was tested for crumb firmness with a modified Bloom gelometer. The weight necessary to cause a depression of 4 mm. using a 1" diameter disc at the slice center was determined on 12 center slices from each loaf. Loaves were in duplicate from each mix and mixes were in quadruplicate to yield a total of eight loaves for each treatment. Results were averaged and, after statistical analysis, corrected to a constant loaf volume of 2770 ml.

The results are tabulated below:

Deviation from Control,

grams Firmness of Crumb, grams Lot Shortening Antistaling ingredient None Glggerol monostearate, Aseorbyl palmitate, 0.4%

Hydrogenated ascorbyl palmitate, 0.4%.

Lard, 3.6%..

Lard, 3.6% 94.

As may be seen from the above table, ascorbyl palmitate is an excellent anti-staling agent. However, the bread into which it had been incorporated had somewhat browner crumb than the control bread, indicating that its use might be limited to brown breads and bakery products wherein a white crumb is not required.

We claim:

1. A process for inhibiting the staling of yeast-raised bakery products comprising incorporating into the dough, prior to baking, about 0.1 to 1%, based on the weight of the flour, of a member selected from the group consisting of ascorbyl palmitate having the formula O=G BIO-( 1 0 'HO". I H

and hydrogenated ascorbyl palmitate'having the formula HOH ClJHOH HO HO- H o the flour, of hydrogenated ascorbyl palmitate having the formula References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Ian. 10, 1951 Great Britain Apr. 11, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES Cereal Chemistry, vol XXVI, No. 5 (September 1949). 'Bakers Digest, vol. 31, No. 3 (June 1957), 1065. 

1. A PROCESS FOR INHIBITING THE STALING OF YEAST-RAISED BAKERY PRODUCTS COMPRISING INCORPORATING INTO THE DOUGH, PRIOR TO BAKING, ABOUT 0.1 TO 1%, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE FLOUR, OF A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ASCORBYL PALMITATE HAVING THE FORMULA 